Sharks Stalk Danbury to the Final Out, Fall 7–4 in the Nightcap
Will Bavaro homered twice and Wesley Scott added a two-run blast, but Danbury's five-run fifth kept the Westerners' boat just out of reach of the pursuing Sharks in a 7–4 nightcap loss that completed the doubleheader sweep at Rogers Park.
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
|
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1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | X | 7 | 7 | 0 |
Danbury, Connecticut - Under cloudless skies and a sunny 75 degrees, with barely a whisper of westerly breeze as afternoon faded into a clear Connecticut evening, the fin never stopped circling at Rogers Park. Three times the Sharks surfaced to strike — Will Bavaro twice, Wesley Scott once — and three times the splash rocked Danbury's boat. But the Westerners kept their engine just ahead of the fish all night, and a five-run counterstrike in the bottom of the fifth opened a gap even a great white couldn't close. Danbury held on 7–4 in the seven-inning nightcap to complete the doubleheader sweep, handing Martha's Vineyard its second loss of the day and fourth road defeat of the summer as the Sharks slipped to 26–10.
Kyle Garbowski wasted no time, turning on a first-inning pitch from Ryan Gold and driving it over the right-field fence for a 1–0 Danbury lead. It would be the only blemish on Gold's outing — the right-hander allowed just that one hit over three innings, striking out six without a walk on 46 pitches — but with the Vineyard bats quiet early, the solo shot was enough to hang the loss on him (1–1).
Danbury doubled the edge in the fourth against reliever James Beasley, when Jack Lutte lined an RBI single to left that brought home Gavin Donohue for a 2–0 lead.
The fin broke water for the first time in the top of the fifth. Bavaro jumped on a 1–0 pitch and launched it over the left-field wall to cut the deficit to 2–1 and put the Sharks right on Danbury's stern.
It stayed a one-run chase for about ten minutes. In the bottom half, the Westerners turned and emptied the deck: with the bases loaded, Lutte worked a run-scoring walk to make it 3–1, Garrett McGovern ripped a two-run double down the left-field line to stretch it to 5–1, and when Jack Edmunds reached on a throwing error, two unearned runs crossed to balloon the lead to 7–1. Five runs — only three of them earned — and suddenly the boat had five lengths of open water with just two innings of a seven-inning game left. Alex Grant finally stopped the bleeding, retiring all four Westerners he faced across 1.1 spotless innings.
The shark kept coming. In the sixth, Wesley Scott battled to a full count and buried the payoff pitch beyond the right-field fence, a two-run blast that scored Griffin Crain — aboard on a walk — ahead of him and trimmed it to 7–3. In the seventh, the fin rose one last time: Bavaro again, another 1–0 pitch, another solo homer to left, his second of the night, closing the gap to 7–4. There the chase ran out of water.
In the end, Martha's Vineyard out-homered Danbury 3–1 and matched the Westerners with seven hits apiece, but ten strikeouts, a single walk, and two errors — which gifted the hosts a pair of unearned runs — told the story. All four Vineyard runs came on the long ball. Bavaro finished 2-for-3 with two home runs, two runs scored, and two RBI; Scott went 2-for-3 with two RBI; and Crain reached base twice and came around to score in front of 324 fans in a brisk two hours and twenty minutes.
A shark, though, never stops swimming — and this one is still hungry. Next time, Danbury's gonna need a bigger boat.
About the Martha's Vineyard Sharks
The Martha's Vineyard Sharks are a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), providing top collegiate talent with a platform to develop and entertain fans across the region. The MV Sharks Baseball Foundation, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to promoting baseball on Martha's Vineyard. We are currently seeking support to improve our baseball field at The Shark Tank, enhancing facilities for players, fans, and the community. The total estimated cost for these upgrades is $520,000, and as of today, we have secured commitments totaling $200,000. If interested, your donation will help bridge this gap, directly contributing to better playing conditions, safety features, and accessibility, ensuring the Martha's Vineyard Sharks continue to thrive as a beacon of youth development and local pride. Donate here today via our secure online form at mvsharks.com/donate (powered by MxMerchant for seamless, tax-receipted giving), or email/call Russ Curran at russ.curran@mvsharks.com / 508-813-0380. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference and qualifies for tax benefits.